The prevalence of urinary incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is one of the most important health problems confronting modern society. More than 50 million men and women throughout the world are afflicted. Population studies have demonstrated that approximately 10% of all women suffer from urinary incontinence. Prevalence figures increase with increasing age and in women aged > or = 70 years more than 20% of the female population are affected. Urinary incontinence not only causes considerable personal suffering for the individual afflicted but is also of immense economic importance for the health service. The annual cost of urinary incontinence in Sweden in 1990 accounted for 2% of the total health care costs.